Mutant Evolution
When you create a mutant, you first decide their Mutant Origin. A mutant origin determines how your character got their mutations and how long they've had them. Mutant origins primarily affect the way you pick mutations at character creation. Once you have picked your mutant origin, you then decide what mutations your character has. There four different types of mutations. * Flawed mutations have no mechanically beneficial effects whatsoever. They cost nothing, and may provide extra mutation points depending on your origin. * Minor mutations have the smallest impact on your character. They represent less helpful changes to genetic makeup and carry only mild benefits, often with downsides as well. Minor mutations cost 1 point. * Major mutations have a great affect on your character. They represent significantly beneficial physical and mental genetic transformations and may be quite difficult to hide. Major mutations cost 2 points. * Perfect mutations are more than just impactful; they drastically alter the way the game is played and are likely a core, fundamental part of your character's personal identity. Perfect mutations are extremely potent and cost 3 points. Mutations will tell you if they add or remove hit zones. Generally, you always consider any parts added by a single mutation to be a single hit zone - if a mutation says you grow 8 spider legs, they still replace just one result. Psychic Powers Psychic powers are unique in that they do not rely on any dedicated combat skills. When you attempt to make an Attack using a psychic ability or activate it in some other way that targets a character unwillingly, you always roll using your AUR score. In the following cases, you also add certain Skills to the roll as well: * Damaging powers like Pyrokinesis, Electrokinesis or Telekinesis add your Insight to their Attack rolls. They are normally resisted with a Dodge roll. * Utility powers like extra-sensory perception, precognition or telepathy add your Insight to any rolls you make with them, such as when attempting to read someone's mind. They are also, in turn, resisted by the target's Insight. * Psychological powers like neurokinesis, mental domination or induced sleep add your Subterfuge to any rolls you make with them. They are resisted by the target's Insight. Origins Natural Evolution Whether beneficial or not, your mutations came about randomly as a result of divergent natural selection and you have had them since birth. For you, your mutated body feels normal, like second nature. You've never had any problems learning how to use it. When you pick Natural Evolution as your mutant origin, you begin with 3 mutation points to spend. You may also take Flawed mutations to gain extra mutation points, up to a maximum of 2. More than 2 Flawed mutations can be taken, but they will grant nothing. Accidental Exposure Not too long ago, you were exposed to something seriously mutagenic. Maybe it was a strong field of ionized radiation, maybe you were too close to an uncontained negative energy reaction, or maybe you just slipped and fell into a vat of toxic waste. Either way, you're different now, and you're still getting used to it. When you pick Accidental Exposure as your mutant origin, you begin with 7 mutation points to spend and two random Flawed mutations. Additional Flawed mutations can be taken, but provide no boon. You may not pick what mutations you spend your points on. Instead, you spend points to pick a mutation category (minor being 1, major being 2, perfect being 3) and roll for the result. Accidental Exposure mutants may not reroll their choices. Genetic Virus You are a victim (or child of a victim) of the same genetic virus that once rampaged through the Earth's lower levels long ago, severely disfiguring and mutating many of its poorest and most vulnerable residents. You are one of the lucky few that underwent advantageous mutations, but you were unlucky to have been afflicted by a now-rare disease in the first place. When you pick Genetic Virus as your mutant origin, you begin with 0 mutation points to spend. You must take Flawed mutations to gain mutation points, receiving 1 point for each, but you may take as many as you wish. Alien Tampering You're not sure how or when it happened, but you know that you were once abducted by aliens. Although your memory is fuzzy and you can't even recall their species, you do know that whatever they did to you changed you forever. You're more than human now, but it feels like they took something else in return... When you pick Alien Tampering as your mutant origin, you begin with 2 mutation points to spend. You may take Flawed mutations, but they grant you no extra mutation points. Instead, you may subtract any number of points from your Attributes, adding an equal number of mutation points to your pool. Note that you cannot take the Enhanced Attribute mutation for any attribute you lower in this manner. Deep-space Phenomenon Somewhere way out in the void of deep space, in the black emptiness between stars, something strange happened, and whatever it was, it left its mark on you. It might have happened when you were still in the womb, and it might have happened last month; regardless, you're far from normal. You're just glad you haven't had any trouble acclimating to your metamorphoses. When you pick Deep-space Phenomenon as your mutant origin, you do not pick mutations with points. Instead, you roll for them across all lists. You roll for mutations one at a time, and you may roll up to three times. If you don't like your results, you can always reroll as many times as you like, but you will have to start from the beginning - no rerolling just the one mutation you don't like! Science Experiment Your mutations are the result of intentional genetic modification by other humans, using advanced technology to directly manipulate your DNA. You were engineered in a laboratory somewhere by either the government or a faceless megacorporation, probably for use as a research subject, if not a living weapon. When you pick Science Experiment as your mutant origin, you do not pick mutations with points. Instead, you pick 1 perfect, 2 major, and 1 minor mutation. You may take Flawed mutations, but will not benefit in any way. You also receive the Marked Man and Wanted Criminal disadvantages automatically, and do not gain extra advantages from them. If you begin the game working for the organization that mutated you, the Game Master may choose not to confer this penalty. Mutations Minor Major Perfect Flawed